Since election, Trump has talked to Putin more than other world leaders

A few years ago Romney said that Russia was one of our greatest rivals. Funny how times change. It seems almost overnight (well, the last 4-8 years)
the Republican party loves Russia, Mr. Trump included:

In the scarcely two weeks since Donald Trump’s surprise victory over Hillary Clinton, he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spoken at least
twice by phone. Their aides have had additional contacts. That’s more contact than Trump is known to have had with any other world leader since
he defeated Clinton in the Nov. 8 election. But it is a concrete display of what many predicted would be a reversal in the standoffish relations
between the two nuclear powers should Trump win election.

Mr. Trump has talked to Putin and his aides have talked to Russian counterparts more than his transition team has talked to US intelligence offices
and the Pentagon. And yet, despite this; the GOP and Trump fans don't seem to even blink or bat an eye.

Within hours of Trump’s election victory two weeks ago, Putin was one of the first world leaders to call and congratulate him. “He spoke
about resuming and restoring relations with Russia,” Putin said afterward on Russian national television.

I'm wondering who really wears the captain's hat here in this strange bromance/BFF relationship here? Did we elect Trump, or Putin? Are they a
package deal, buy one leader and get the other 50% off? Did the American people really just elect Putin or Trump? Do people not realize how limited
the freedom of speech is in Russia? Why are the conservatives so hell-bent on turning America into Russia 2.0?

he Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s eldest son, had held private discussions in Paris last
month with about 30 diplomats, business leaders and politicians who support Putin, including several who have close ties with the Kremlin.

And this piggybacks on the "conflict of interest" issues surrounding the new president-elect. So we not only have Trump making diplomatic overtures,
but his family members are colluding with Russian business moguls behind the scenes. What kind of deals are being made with the "Trump" name
attached to it inside of Russia right now? How can this glaring conflict of interest not be of concern and a risk to national security?

Seriously, if a Democrat was in the White House, the Republicans would be screaming that the person is colluding with the "enemy". It's not so much
that Trump has talked to Putin a few times, and his staff has had even more contact than that -- Trump is activley turning away intelligence
briefings:

President-elect Donald Trump has received two classified intelligence briefings since his surprise election victory earlier this month, a frequency
that is notably lower — at least so far — than that of his predecessors, current and former U.S. officials said.

I guess Trump "has got this"? Maybe he doesn't need those briefings because he has his own sources of intelligence? From another nation?

In any case, this shouldn't be something that Americans are expected to just take in stride. This type of behavior is not normal, and its not
something someone who wants to protect and "make America great" would do.

I like caviar, vodka and those little cute nesting dolls, but I don't think America should become a Russian proxy state!

The Cold War was over in the 80s. However , a certain party (ermmm Obama) has decided to unilaterally bring it back. So modern of him....
I say keep up the good work , Don. For he first time in ages , lets try to improve relations with the world . Stop being so childish we believe the US
is god's gift to the world . And what we say goes...

It's actually a valid question. In 2010, Republicans (certainly not all of them) opposed the New START treaty with Russia. In 2014, Newt Gingrich
railed against Obama for not standing up against Russia over Ukraine.

Chris Christie said he would order Russian planes shot down over Syrian no-fly zones (something Trump supporters attacked Hillary repeatedly for
supporting - and they were right. The no-fly zone is a bad idea in my opinion).

Ben Carson said the same thing as Christie.

Even Republican voters are (or were, before Trump won), for the most part, against Russia and believed it had a hand in trying to influence the
election.

Most Republicans believe Russia is attempting to influence the U.S. presidential election, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, despite comments
by the party’s nominee, Donald Trump, downplaying the possibility. Some 55 percent of U.S. adults, including 51 percent of Republicans and 65
percent of Democrats, said they thought Russia was trying to tip the scales in the Nov. 8 presidential election, according to the survey. Most
American adults - 62 percent of Democrats and 48 percent of Republicans - think Putin is supporting Trump for the White House, the poll found. Some 71
percent of those who suspect Russia of meddling believe Moscow is doing so through the recent hacks of Democratic emails, according to the Oct. 18-24
survey. But 57 percent of those who suspect Russian interference also believe Trump has "no involvement in Russia’s release of unflattering
information" on his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

Members of both American political parties see Russia as a major military threat to neighboring countries, but to differing degrees, according
to our latest survey. Two-thirds of GOP members see Russia as a military threat, but only 56% of Democrats share their fear. And while half of
Republicans say Russia is to blame for the violence in eastern Ukraine, just 39% of Democrats agree. There is a similar partisan divide over what to
do about the situation in Ukraine. Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to support military assistance. Six-in-ten Republicans voice support
for NATO sending arms to the Ukrainian government compared with 39% of Democrats. The smallest partisan division is over economic aid to Kyiv: 69% of
Republicans back such assistance, as do 60% of Democrats.

I agree with some of what Trump is saying regarding foreign policy, especially closing foreign bases and rolling back NATO (though I also do not
believe either of these will happen). It is interesting, however, to see the rather sudden shift from Republicans being so anti-Putin / Russia to
suddenly thinking he is a nice guy.

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